Talking Horse Productions Announces New Executive Director and Artistic Director

Paulsell & Jones share a passion for the intimate Black Box format, allowing for more imaginative staging while amplifying the live theatre experience.

COLUMBIA, MO, UNITED STATES, August 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Board of Directors for Talking Horse Productions is pleased to announce the selection of Mary Paulsell and Randall Kenneth Jones as the company's next Executive Director and Artistic Director, respectively. They will succeed Nathan O'Neil and Rochara Knight, who are stepping down later this summer.

Paulsell, a Columbia, Missouri native, is well-known in Central Missouri's non-profit and arts communities. She is a well-respected director and actress and currently serves on the board of directors of Talking Horse Productions. She is perhaps best known as president of Central Missouri Honor Flight. She also serves on the Friends of Mid-Missouri Fisher House board and is on the steering committee for Columbia's Military Morning. She was a writer, editor and program administrator at the University of Missouri for over 40 years.

Born and raised in Columbia, Missouri, Jones recently returned after 39 years in Washington, D.C. and Naples, Florida. An accomplished director, actor, author, podcaster and speaker, Jones places a premium on the marriage of art and income—creativity and inclusion—often stating, "Every production can and should be a special event!"

A self-described professional storyteller, Jones's podcast, "On the Knows," has featured Broadway's Laura Benanti, Craig Carnelia, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jerry Mitchell, Faith Prince and Michael Rupert, as well as Entertainment Tonight's Nichelle Turner.

Paulsell and Jones share a passion for Talking Horse's intimate Black Box format, allowing for more imaginative staging while amplifying the live theatre experience. The pair hopes for increased national and community partnerships and brings a renewed focus on education in all its forms.

"The board wishes to thank both Chara and Nathan for their wisdom and guidance since April 2022, as they helped Talking Horse Productions through the end of the pandemic by producing wonderful shows and getting us positioned for future growth," said Ed Hanson, Board Chair. "We now look forward to working with Mary and Randy to continue our history of providing outstanding, thought-provoking theatre."

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About Talking Horse Productions: Since 2011, Talking Horse Productions has enhanced the Columbia, Missouri, community by producing intimate, character-driven plays and musicals, including the development of new works. THP illuminates social issues by producing scripts that challenge and educate our audiences. THP invests in the community by presenting theater to local schools and other venues and supporting local not-for-profit organizations. THP creates opportunities for the advancement of experienced and emerging actors, directors, playwrights, designers, technicians, and administrative staff. To donate, volunteer, or for more information, visit TalkingHorseProductions.org.

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